Manufacture of built-up blanks from scrap leather



Pt' 1944- A. H. LENNON 2,358,404

MANUFACTURE OF BUILT-UP BLANKS FROM SCRAP LEATHER Filed April 27, .1943

I mvem'o' ARTHURl-LLE ON FIGZ mg vfi Patented Sept. 19, 1944 MANUFACTURE OF BUILT-UP BLANKS FROM s-oRAr LEATHER.

Arthur H. Lennon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application April 27, 194 3, Serial No. 484,758

InUaliada March so, 1943 V 4 Claims. (c s9 21) This invention relates to the manufacture of built-up shoe-sole and and other leather blanks from scrap leather.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and commercially feasible procedure whereby small pieces of scrap leather may be utilized to provide a built-up blank of any desired size from which shoe soles or other articles may be formed by appropriate cutting and shaping operations.

Another object is to provide an improved form of built-up leather blank composed of a large number of pieces of scrap leather held together in edge-to-edge relation partly by interlocking engagement with each other and partly by means of a single base sheet to which the flesh sides of all the pieces are firmly glued or cemented so that the base sheet constitutes a permanent part of the finished blank.

Another object is to provide a built-up blank composed of duplicate pieces cut from scrap leather so that each piece is provided with marginal recesses and projections enabling it to be securely interlocked with other pieces assembled in edge to edge relation therewith, the engaging edge portions of the assembled interlocked pieces being adhesively secured together and the flesh sides of all of said assembled pieces being arranged to face in the same direction and being adhesively secured to a single base sheet made of fabric or other suitable material.

Other objects, advantages and characteristic features of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a finished blank produced in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing how the shaped pieces of scrap leather embodied in the finished blank are die-cut from larger pieces of scrap.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing how the shaped pieces of scrap leather are assembled in interlocking relation with, their grain sides glued or cemented to a temporary holding base or sheet.

Fig. 4 is a view showin how the permanent base sheet of the blank is cemented to the flesh sides of the interlocked shaped pieces of scrap after said pieces have been reduced to uniform thickness by a buiflng operation.

The finished product made in accordance with my invention is shown in Fig. 1. It comprises a large number of shaped leather pieces 5 interlocked with each other in edge to edge relation and having their flesh sides glued or cemented to a single base sheet 6 made of cotton fabric or other suitable material which is preferably thin and flexible. Each piece 5 is herein shown as comprising a substantially rectangular body portion 1 provided with two oppositely located marginal projections 8 and two oppositely located marginal notches 9, said projections and notches being of dove-tail shape and being dimensioned so that a projection 8 of one piece may be fitted in a notch 9 of an adjacent piece to thereby enable any desired number of said pieces to be assembled in edge to edge interlocking relation as shown in Fig. 1. The joints formed by and between the pieces 5 are preferably filled with a plastic or other adhesive material to strengthen the blank by developing continuity between the adjacent pieces 5. The plastic or other adhesive filler here referred to also serves to cover portions of the base sheet 6 that would otherwise be exposed in the case of loose fitting of the projections 8 in the notches 9.

In producing the finished product described herein each of the pieces 5 is preferably die cut from a piece IU of scrap leather as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The pieces 5 are then initially assembled in interlocking relation with their grain sides glued to a single temporary holding sheet II (Fig. 3) which may be made of paper, fabri or any other suitable material. The joints formed by and between the edges of the assembled pieces 5 are then filled with plastic or other suitable adhesive. This may be accomplished by an impregnating treatment or in any other desired manner. The exposed flesh sides of the pieces 5 are then subjected to a bufling or other mechanical treatment to make them uniform as regards thickness.

The permanent base sheet 6 (Fig. 4) is then glued or cemented in place against the exposed flesh sides of the pieces 5. The glue and the temporary holding sheet ll initially applied to the grain sides of the pieces 5 are then removed by a bufling operation which may also be utilized to give a desired finish to the grain side of the built-up blank.

Having thus described what I now conceive to be the preferred construction of my improved blank and the preferred method of producing same, it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of making a built-up blank from scrap leather comprising adhesively securing the grain sides of a plurality of pieces of scrap leather to a single temporary holding sheet to provide a single layer of pieces arranged in edge to edge relation, subjecting the exposed flesh sides of the pieces to a buifing or other mechanical treatment to obtain uniformity as regards the thickness of said pieces, then gluing or cementing to the flesh sides of all of said pieces a single base sheet adapted-to form a permanent part of the finished blank and then removing the temporary holding sheet initially applied to the grain sides of said pieces.

2. A method as set forth in. claim 1 including the step of filling the joints formed by and between theedges of adjacent pieces with a suitable adhesive filler prior to the application of the base sheet which is applied to the flesh sides of said pieces.

3. The method of making a built-upblank from scrap leather which comprises cutting a plurality of pieces of scrap leather to provide a plurality of shaped pieces having marginal locking projections and recesses adapting said shaped pieces to be assembled in interlocking edge to edge relation with each other, assembling said shaped pieces in said interlocking edge to edge relation on a temporary holding sheet to which the grain sides of said pieces are adhesively secured, then subjecting the exposed flesh sides of said assembled shaped pieces to a bufling or other treatmentto render said pieces uniform as regards thickness, then adhesively securing a single sheet of material to the flesh sides of all of said shaped pieces to form a permanent part of the finished blank and then removing said temporary holding sheet.

4. The method according to claim 3 in which the temporary holding sheet and the glue secur ing it in place are removed by a bufiing operation.

' ARTHUR; H. LENNON. 

